Psalms 119:40-80

40 Behold, I long for thy precepts; in thy righteousness give me life!

41 Let thy steadfast love come to me, O LORD, thy salvation according to thy promise;

42 then shall I have an answer for those who taunt me, for I trust in thy word.

43 And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for my hope is in thy ordinances.

44 I will keep thy law continually, for ever and ever;

45 and I shall walk at liberty, for I have sought thy precepts.

46 I will also speak of thy testimonies before kings, and shall not be put to shame;

47 for I find my delight in thy commandments, which I love.

48 I revere thy commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on thy statutes.

49 Remember thy word to thy servant, in which thou hast made me hope.

50 This is my comfort in my affliction that thy promise gives me life.

51 Godless men utterly deride me, but I do not turn away from thy law.

52 When I think of thy ordinances from of old, I take comfort, O LORD.

53 Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked, who forsake thy law.

54 Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage.

55 I remember thy name in the night, O LORD, and keep thy law.

56 This blessing has fallen to me, that I have kept thy precepts.

57 The LORD is my portion; I promise to keep thy words.

58 I entreat thy favor with all my heart; be gracious to me according to thy promise.

59 When I think of thy ways, I turn my feet to thy testimonies;

60 I hasten and do not delay to keep thy commandments.

61 Though the cords of the wicked ensnare me, I do not forget thy law.

62 At midnight I rise to praise thee, because of thy righteous ordinances.

63 I am a companion of all who fear thee, of those who keep thy precepts.

64 The earth, O LORD, is full of thy steadfast love; teach me thy statutes!

65 Thou hast dealt well with thy servant, O LORD, according to thy word.

66 Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in thy commandments.

67 Before I was afflicted I went astray; but now I keep thy word.

68 Thou art good and doest good; teach me thy statutes.

69 The godless besmear me with lies, but with my whole heart I keep thy precepts;

70 their heart is gross like fat, but I delight in thy law.

71 It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes.

72 The law of thy mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

73 Thy hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn thy commandments.

74 Those who fear thee shall see me and rejoice, because I have hoped in thy word.

75 I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that in faithfulness thou hast afflicted me.

76 Let thy steadfast love be ready to comfort me according to thy promise to thy servant.

77 Let thy mercy come to me, that I may live; for thy law is my delight.

78 Let the godless be put to shame, because they have subverted me with guile; as for me, I will meditate on thy precepts.

79 Let those who fear thee turn to me, that they may know thy testimonies.

80 May my heart be blameless in thy statutes, that I may not be put to shame!

Psalms 119:40-80 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 119

This psalm is generally thought to be written by David, but when is uncertain; very probably towards the decline of life; and, as some think, for the sake or his son Solomon. It seems to be a collection of observations on the word of God and its precepts, the usefulness and excellency of it, he had made in the course of his life; interspersed with various petitions for the grace of God, to enable him to observe it. The psalm is a very extraordinary one; partly on account of the unusual length of it, it being more than double the length of the longest psalm in the whole book; and partly on account of its curious composition. It consists of twenty two parts, according to the number of the letters in the Hebrew alphabet; the names of which letters stand between each part; and every part consists of eight verses, all of which begin with the same letter: thus, for instance, the first eight verses begin with the letter a, "aleph", and the second eight verses begin with the letter b, "beth", and so on throughout; hence the Masorah calls this psalm the Great Alphabet. This the psalmist did, perhaps to excite attention to what he said, and also to help the memory. And it is observable that there are very few verses in the whole, not more than one or two, but what has something in it concerning the word of God, and its precepts and ordinances; there are nine or ten different words used relative to it, which signify much one and the same thing; as laws, statutes, judgments, testimonies Luther {m} observes, that neither Cicero, nor Virgil, nor Demosthenes, are to be compared with David for eloquence, as we see in the hundred nineteenth Psalm, where he divideth one sense and meaning into twenty two sorts. And it may also be remarked, that there is nothing in it concerning the tabernacle worship, or the rites and ceremonies of the legal dispensation; so that it seems to be calculated for, and is suited to, the word of God, and the ordinances of it, as we now have them in their full perfection: and the design of the whole is to show the fervent affection the psalmist had for the word of God, and to stir up the same in others.

{m} Mensal. Colloqu. c. 32. p. 365.

a, \\ALEPH.--The First Part\\.